Grass-roots motorsport
Discussion
Just got back from a weekend camping at Finlake in Devon. There to see a hill-climb, which was great fun.
It's nice to know that for relatively little money you can still get involved in motorsport. It was great to see Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts mixing it with old minis, their drivers really going for it.
Made a great contrast to the Goodwood Revival I visited last weekend, where many of the cars were valued at several hundred thousand pounds.
For me, the value doesn't matter. If it drinks petrol and brings a smile to your face it gets the thumbs up from me.
It's nice to know that for relatively little money you can still get involved in motorsport. It was great to see Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts mixing it with old minis, their drivers really going for it.
Made a great contrast to the Goodwood Revival I visited last weekend, where many of the cars were valued at several hundred thousand pounds.
For me, the value doesn't matter. If it drinks petrol and brings a smile to your face it gets the thumbs up from me.
quote:
Just got back from a weekend camping at Finlake in Devon. There to see a hill-climb, which was great fun.
It's nice to know that for relatively little money you can still get involved in motorsport. It was great to see Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts mixing it with old minis, their drivers really going for it.
Made a great contrast to the Goodwood Revival I visited last weekend, where many of the cars were valued at several hundred thousand pounds.
For me, the value doesn't matter. If it drinks petrol and brings a smile to your face it gets the thumbs up from me.
I'm in full agreement T/T thats what motorsport is all about.
Simon, Finlake was just the location of hill-climb, in fact it's a Holiday Park! However, the event was organised by the Torbay Motor Club. Visit
www.torbay-mc.co.uk for further details.
Cheers
Paul
www.torbay-mc.co.uk for further details.
Cheers
Paul
quote:
Any chance of Emailing me the details of Finlake, I'm trying to get involved in Hill climbing and know nothing about anything. Cheers simon.
Drop me a line if you want to know more about the TVR Car Club speed championship, or sprint/hillclimb competitions in general.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Coordinator, TVRCC Speed Championship
I don't think my Elite is the right car to be blasting up hills in, so I have bought an old Dutton Phaeton, 2 seat 7ish style car. The breif for this project is to spend as little money as possible whilst having a ball. This would be an antidote to Lotus ownership as that consists mostly of putting your hand in your pocket in my experience. What I really need is more information about how to go about getting involved, as the things I have found on the net are not comprehensive enough for a complete novice like myself. I need to know how much preperation the car requires to meet the scruteneering standards, what special equiptment I require, how to go about entering an event, should I join a local motor club,etc, etc. To this end, I will be in contact Peter, thanks. Simon.
Simon, I would agree that the Elite won't win many hillclimbs, but can still be fun. I would also agree that Classic Lotus ownership can be frustrating and expensive, but when they are eventually sorted they are great cars.
I would suggest that the best place to start (where I started) would be at one of the introduction to sprinting days organised by Lotus Drivers Club (you don't have to do it in a Lotus - the Dutton would be fine) or I think the club that runs Curborough (they have a website)do some at Curborough sprint circuit near Lichfield.
I went on one of these and basically they run the day as if it were a sprint, in that they will scrutineer your car etc, but as it's not a competitive sprint, so if they find something wrong they will still allow you to go on (unless it's blatently dangerous) and just advise what would need to be done to pass a real scrutineering. (very little if your car's MOT'd properly). They will then advise on walking the circuit, how to start, cornering etc and you can have lots of runs in a friendly non competitive environment to get used to it.
Great fun and good value as you normally get a lot more runs that on a real hillclimb or sprint.
sparkey
I would suggest that the best place to start (where I started) would be at one of the introduction to sprinting days organised by Lotus Drivers Club (you don't have to do it in a Lotus - the Dutton would be fine) or I think the club that runs Curborough (they have a website)do some at Curborough sprint circuit near Lichfield.
I went on one of these and basically they run the day as if it were a sprint, in that they will scrutineer your car etc, but as it's not a competitive sprint, so if they find something wrong they will still allow you to go on (unless it's blatently dangerous) and just advise what would need to be done to pass a real scrutineering. (very little if your car's MOT'd properly). They will then advise on walking the circuit, how to start, cornering etc and you can have lots of runs in a friendly non competitive environment to get used to it.
Great fun and good value as you normally get a lot more runs that on a real hillclimb or sprint.
sparkey
It's a good day out. I was going to point you to www.roop.ik.com for some entertaining in-car videos, but it looks like that site's now closed. 
So you'll just have to go try it for your self.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
So you'll just have to go try it for your self. Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
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